Week: How to Pray...
As usual, each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.
We start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Our Father in heaven, we know that You are with us and that You want to talk with us – so we respond very simply by saying: ‘Here we are, we’re ready. Teach us how to pray.’
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Zoë
Ephesians 3:20
With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.
Ephesians 3:20 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on the peace that God gives us when we pray.
Read by Zoë
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NCV)
Sometimes, our prayers are not answered when, or in the way, we want them to be, which can be hard to understand and difficult to accept. When this happens there is one thing we can trust – that God will give us the thing we need above all else – peace in our hearts and our minds.
Today’s verses talk about worry. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What sort of things do people worry about?
And now, we ASK God to help us and others.
Father God, sometimes it’s hard to pray because we don’t feel like our prayers are getting through to You. We ASK you to fill us with your peace in those times as we try to keep trusting you.
Let’s think of someone we know who hasn’t had their prayers answered in a way they were expecting.
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to send Your Holy Spirit to give them peace and comfort. Show us how we can encourage them as they experience disappointment, and help us to keep hoping in You for good things.
As we read the Bible again, let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us from today’s verses.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, we know that life is not always easy and that things will not always go the way we hope. Nonetheless, we say YES, we want to trust you. Fill us with your peace in the moments when we can’t understand everything that is happening in our lives and in the world around us.
Pause
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Ephesians 3:20
With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.
Ephesians 3:20 (NCV)
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
Content from today’s Lectio for Families is adapted from Pete Greig and Gemma Hunt’s book, ‘How to Pray: A Guide for Young Explorers’ (Hodder & Stoughton, 2022). Why not order your own copy? https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/how-to-pray-a-guide-for-young-explorers/
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Zoë Thandeka (Thandi) is 13 and she lives in Guildford, in the UK, with her family. She loves football (her favourite football team is Liverpool FC), Top Gear and car-spotting. When she’s older, Zoë wants to be a photographer or work with animals in some way.
